Astros' 5-5 Jose Altuve not short on talent

By Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

KANSAS CITY, Mo.
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Jose Altuve is having lunch at the InterContinental Hotel when Starlin Castro stops by for a man-hug. Moments later, Carlos Beltran waves from a few tables away. Then Chipper Jones offers his congratulations.

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Established All-Stars typically are kind to first-timers such as Altuve, the lone Houston Astros representative at tonight's showcase, but this goes beyond the perfunctory kudos.

Altuve, 22, was playing in the Futures Game a year ago. Now he's leading all National League second basemen with a .303 batting average and 15 stolen bases while ranking second in on-base-plus-slugging percentage at .783.

He has proved himself a legitimate All-Star despite standing just 5-5, which makes him the shortest player in the majors since shortstop Freddie Patek, also 5-5, finished playing in 1981.

Jones, the Atlanta Braves icon who is concluding a Hall of Fame-worthy career, said players such as Altuve and Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (5-8) earn extra respect from their fellow All-Stars.

"These guys are proving people wrong every day, and I love it," Jones said, "because they don't have the prototypical 6-4, 220 frame. That's God-given. They took a frame that's less desirable and still got a lot out of it. It's hard not to pull for someone like that."

With a ready smile, an interesting back story and a quick bat, Altuve has grown from inspiration for short players hoping to reach the majors into a bit of a cult hero.

The website howmanyaltuves.com calculates distances in Altuves, dividing them by his 65 inches of height. Jose's younger brother Carlos, who along with their mother, Lastenia, is attending the All-Star Game festivities with Altuve, acknowledges playing around on the website.

Altuve had few converts among scouts as an amateur in his native Maracay, Venezuela. They loved the way the ball jumped off his bat and his ability to hit to the opposite field, but he was rough defensively, and his stature was a tough sell.

Altuve planned to head to college until the Astros offered him a $15,000 bonus at the urging of scout Omar Lopez. But even after Altuve's hitting stood out among his peers, with a .343 average in the Venezuelan Summer League in 2007, it took the insistence of Al Pedrique, then the Astros' executive in charge of Latin American operations, for the team to bring him stateside.

"I knew the hardest part would be to get a team to sign me," said Altuve, who turned pro at 16 in 2006. "I knew when they sent me out to play I would work hard and I would win them over. When I watched games, I felt like I belonged with the players on the field."

That confidence, evident when he told Pedrique shortly after signing that he expected to make it quickly to the majors, remains firmly in place.

Altuve exudes neither a Napoleon complex nor shyness, but rather behaves like someone comfortable with himself. He shows a sense of humor about his stature, such as when he jumped to meet teammates' ultra-high-fives following a home run earlier this season, but makes it clear he's ready to compete.

"Don't take him easy because he'll definitely take you yard," Washington Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez said. "He swings hard and he makes sure to let you know, 'Hey, I'm no joke.' "

Neither is he a Punch and Judy hitter. Altuve's .438 slugging percentage ranks third among National League second basemen. On May 22, he banged out a home run off Chicago Cubs lefty Travis Wood that traveled 412 feet, or 76.06 Altuves.

Altuve hit a combined 25 home runs in the last two seasons of his quick ascent through the minors, climbing from Class A to the majors last year. Even Pedrique, one of his staunchest supporters, did not see that coming.

"We projected him as a AA or AAA player," Pedrique said. "We knew his hitting had to stand out enough that he would be taken seriously and get an opportunity."

He has cashed in on his opportunity big-time, but Altuve recognizes he's not a finished product. He walked just five times in 234 plate appearances last season and, while more selective this year (17 walks), could still improve on his .344 on-base percentage. He's not lacking for determination to get better.

"I always knew I would have to work harder than the rest to get here," Altuve said. "But I was always ready for that, and I think you can accomplish anything with hard work."

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